Improvement in mowing-machines



-L. D. BIDWELL.

MOWING MACHINE.

Patented Dec. 8,1868.

Fig.1.

Fig.2

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eaas L. D. BIDWELL, OF BIRMINGHAM,- CONNECTICUT- Letters Patent No. 84,790, dated December 8, 1868.

, DIPROVEMEN'I' IN MOWIN'G-MACHINES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and maldug part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

said drawings constitute part of this specification, and

represent, in

Figure 1, a top view, and, in

v Figure 2. a front view .ofthe cutter part of the machine.

:Ihis invention relates to an improvement in machines for cutting grass, 850., such as are arranged to be driven by horse-power; and consists in the arrangement of several revolving cutters, and the several cutters fixed in arevolving head, so-that the several cutters, while they all revolve around a common centre, have,

of themselves, an independent rotary motion, whereby the rapidity of the cut is greatly increased.

r In order to the clear understanding of my invention, I will fully describe the same, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

A is the axle of the machine, arranged, in bearings, on a frame, B, to which the horse is attached in the usual manner.

0, the driving-wheel on the axle A, has attached to it a bevel-gear, D, which works in a pinion, E, on a shaft, F, the said shaft F being at'right angles to the axle A, or nearly so, and upon the opposite end of which is a bevel-gear, G, working in a pinion, H, so as to drive the shaft 1; and upon the said shaft is arlanged a head, consisting, in this case, of two .plates, at, fixed to the shaft I, so as to revolve therewith.

. In the said head are fixed several circular cutters, (1, upon a shaft, f, arranged in bearings, so as torevolve freely.

Above the said head isarranged a gear, L, fixed, in a stationary position, in the frame M; and, upon the said shafts f is arranged a pinion, at, working into the gear L, as seen in fig. 1, so that, as the head, carrying the circular cutters, is caused to revolve by the forward motion of the machine, the cutters themselves will also revolve, in consequence of the pinicn a working into the figred gear L, and will, consequently, revolve in an opposite direction to that in which the head drives the cutters.

In front of the cutters is arranged a circular fingerbar, P, of such form, as seen in fig. 1, that the cutters traverse over the openings between the fingers; therefore, as the machine is ,tlrawn along, the grass or grain gathers between the fingers, the head carrying the cutters alongover the several spaces between the cuttentr At thesametimcgthe-cut4ersttieniselves-revoiv ing, give, as it were, a longer cut, according to the time occupied in moving the cutters, than they'otherwise would do, one motion serving to cut direct, while the other (the revolving cutter) serves, as it were, as a saw,

thus combining a double cutin a single cutter.

The number of cutters to be arranged in the head will be proportionate to the size of the cutters, and

should be such number, relatively to the velocity with which the head carries the cutters, that each cutter will operate once while the fingers are moving one length; that is, the out should be made in the same proportion as in common mowing-machines.

I do not wish to be understood as claiming the arrangement of a rotary cutter or cutters in harvesters,

as such, I am aware, is not new; neither do I claim any of the parts separately, but only in combination, as hereinafter named. I

Having fully described my invention,

What I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The arrangement of the revolving cutters d in 'a revolving head, so as to give to the said cutters a double movement, substantially as herein described.

2. In combination with the above, the finger-bar P, constructed and arranged so as to operate in conjunction with the said cutters, substantially in the manner set forth.

L. D. BIDWELL.

Witnesses:

SEABURY B. PLATT, 0. P. BLAoKm. 

